2016 Planning Commission Packets

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David Sands, who chairs the authority's board, said specific numbers may need to be adjusted within the two sets of goals, but they generally match. The solicitation, which will be released Feb. 1, outlines eight priorities that generalize and combine the vision of county and city planners. The solicitation is looking for tax base growth, job creation, transit and mobility opportunities, energy and environmental resiliency, housing diversity, natural resources protection, community vitality and interconnection, and enhanced recreational features. "What can't the five of us — or the four of you at least — not agree on in terms of those generalized goals," Sands asked board members. Mark Ruff, the board's financial adviser, stopped the meeting at one point to say that developers are used to navigating differing goals between multiple stakeholders. "That's pretty typical" for developers, Ruff said. "So the larger question is less about how the developer feels about this, and more about your comfort level moving forward with the solicitation without your own goals and objectives." The solicitation will require responses by March 2, but planners will host a developer information session and pre -proposal conference Feb. 11 for interested bidders. According to the master plan, which has been approved by the city but not Ramsey County to date, officials are looking for a proposal that offers a mix of housing types to accommodate about 3,000 new residents. They want 4,000 jobs to be added through retail and office space. Of the 633 total acres on the site, 320 of them would be developable. Ramsey County officials announced last month they had finished cleanup of the Superfund site, which is in the northeast quadrant of Interstate 35W and Highway 96. Planners are asking developers to be creative with their responses to an 11 -question solicitation, which asks about the strength of the development team and strategies to attract major employers. A solicitation review committee will select top candidates by March 18 and make a recommendation to the authority by March 31. Ultimately, the authority will make the final master developer selection and Ramsey County, the owner of the land, will negotiate purchasing terms. As the authority wrapped up the final vote Monday, Holden picked apart the language in the motion. Originally, the motion read that the board would authorize the formation of "the" solicitation review committee. Holden, who said she would like more say over the proposed members of the review committee, asked that the board change the wording to read "a" solicitation review committee. The tension at Monday's meeting is an indicator of how seriously officials are taking the development, Heather Worthington, Ramsey County's deputy manager, said Tuesday. "What they showed last night is great leadership in saying'OK, we might not agree on every single detail, but we are in consensus in how to move forward," she said. "We know the best way to move forward is to issue the solicitation and pick a master developer and then get this site back on the tax rolls."'